a little drop of poison
by not the bees
Summary: 3x11 AU. Tyler bites Bonnie instead of Caroline and this triggers a chain of events that no one could have foreseen. Klonnie (re-upload)
1. the bite

_A/N: Hello, everyone. I suppose there's no way of really beginning to explain why I've been absent for so long. Safe to say, I had to delete my work for my own mental wellbeing and also had to deal with some other health issues that demanded my attention. I'm very thankful for the people on here who have been supporting me and sending me messages. I'm glad some of you want to see this story return, so here it is. I'll try to upload every chapter, but it will take some time because I am doing small rewrites too (nothing big, though). I'm sorry for any inconveniences I may have caused. I hope you enjoy the story._

* * *

 **a little drop of poison**

Bonnie was going to head home. She _was_. She didn't want to ruin Caroline's birthday/funeral any further. Her grievance with Elena and her decision to have Jeremy compelled out of town would have to wait another day.

But then she stumbled upon Tyler and Caroline having a private moment in the woods.

"I'm not moving on from anything. I love you," Tyler was saying in a heartfelt manner, staring deeply into the blond vampire's eyes.

Bonnie quickly dashed behind a tree, afraid she might interrupt their heart-to-heart. Admittedly, Caroline getting back with Tyler wasn't a brilliant idea, seeing as he was sired to Klaus.

 _But the heart wants what it wants_ , she thought grimly. She wasn't a fool to deny she probably still had some remnant feelings for Jeremy. But she also wasn't a fool to give into them. The smart, practical thing was to move on. Caroline should probably do the same.

 _Not a big chance of that happening_ , she realized since the two had started kissing.

She was about to look away, embarrassed to witness their intimacy, when a flash of something white caught her eye. It was Tyler's fangs.

A deep-seated reflex made her raise her hand instinctively, and before he had a chance to bite her friend, Tyler was on his back and writhing.

Bonnie came out of hiding, eyes trained on the hybrid moaning at her feet.

"Bonnie! What are you doing?! Stop!" Caroline cried out.

"He tried to bite you!" Bonnie explained, flicking her wrist so that Tyler lay flat on the ground, unable to move. He howled in pain.

"You're going to kill him!" her friend persisted.

"I'm only immobilizing him."

"Stop!"

"He's being controlled by Klaus. He's dangerous!"

"Bonnie, please!"

Bonnie halted for a moment, chewing on her lip. "Okay, but we have to get out of here –"

As soon as her grip on him had lessened, Tyler sprang back up and growled menacingly. His eyes had turned yellow. Bonnie took a step back.

"Run, Care," she called out in a whisper.

"Phesmatos –" Bonnie began in a low voice, but he was expecting her attack now and was too fast to repel.

He was at her throat before she had a chance to take him down.

Caroline screamed. She tried to pull him off, but Tyler was impossibly strong. In his rage, he snapped back at her and threw her across the clearing into a tree.

Bonnie saw a white light coming at her with blinding speed. She wrestled to free herself, even though the pain had frozen every muscle.

Tyler tore at her flesh like a dog with a bone.

She cried out into the night.

* * *

When her eyes opened next, she was met with the same white light as before.

 _Oh. Oh, no. I'm dead, aren't I?_

This time, the light was static, and not so blinding. In fact, if she focused hard enough and took a deep breath, she could even make out a shape. A square.

Bonnie blinked.

The square multiplied, until she found herself in a white room.

She was lying down in a warm bed, but she felt cold. When she looked down, she noticed she was wearing a thin robe and a small blanket had been thrown over her legs. She tried swinging her legs over, but her body protested wildly. She was weak, lethargic. She turned her head. Her muscles ached. The catheter attached to her wrist coiled up like ivy into a blood bag.

She was in the hospital.

Her mind was fuzzy, trying to piece back how exactly she'd ended up here. She remembered something about Caroline's birthday, a funeral, a fight and then –

"Tyler."

Where was he? What had he done? Was Caroline okay?

 _You're the one in the hospital_ , she chided herself. _Maybe you should worry about yourself right now._

On cue, she felt a stabbing pain at her neck. A large bandage had been placed over the wound. She remembered now. Tyler had bitten her.

But she was still alive, which meant he hadn't drained her.

Bonnie closed her eyes and let the magic well up inside of her. She could heal herself fine from a vampire's bite. She just had to focus on the wounded spot and infuse magic into it.

 _Come on now. Make it all better._

The magic prodded and nudged at the injured flesh but did not seem able to seep in. Bonnie frowned. She clenched her fists and held her breath. The magic grew more violent. But it seemed to be knocking itself against a dead wall. The skin wouldn't close. The bite would not fade.

"Don't count on that working, _witch_."

Bonnie snapped her eyes open. If her body were not completely slack, she would've jumped out of the bed.

A pair of dark blue eyes stared her down. His features seemed etched in stone. Klaus Mikaelson was towering over her like a sinister harbinger of death. If she held out her hand, she could almost touch him. She shied away from him to the edge of the bed.

" _You_. Get away from me. Get away!"

She reached out for the call button and pressed down several times.

"Well, that's uncalled for. After all, it was Tyler who bit you, not me."

" _You_ made him do it!"

"Ah-ah, love. I made him bite Caroline. You got in the way, I'm afraid."

Bonnie scowled in disgust. "You tried to kill my friend."

"And I have another one of your friends under my thumb. Yes. I think we've established my concern for any of your loved ones is next to nil."

Bonnie lifted her fingers shakily, but Klaus caught her wrist easily.

She gasped in pain.

"Trying to give me an aneurysm, are you? When I'm actually here to help."

"I don't need any _more_ of your help. You've done enough," she spat, wrenching her hand away. "Leave me alone!"

"Fine," he replied, an amused smile crossing his lips. "I'll go and let you wither and die in a hospital bed, if that is your wish."

Bonnie was panting so hard it was as if she'd run a mile. Her blood pressure was running high. The machines she was attached to started beeping rather menacingly.

Yet, no staff member burst into her ward.

"They," Klaus said, pointing his finger behind him at the closed door, "won't be able to do anything for you. Either your friends or the doctors."

"What are you talking about? I don't need anyone's help. I can cure myself."

Klaus shook his head, the faux look of sympathy enhancing his devilish features. "You weren't bitten by a vampire, Bonnie. You were bitten by a hybrid."

Bonnie screwed up her eyebrows in confusion. "I'm not a vampire. I'll heal."

Klaus chuckled, folding his arms smugly. "You'd think that after all this time you lot would stop underestimating me. It's not just vampires that are altered by a hybrid's bite. It's _all_ supernatural creatures. Like, say, a witch."

Bonnie balked. "No. That's not true."

"Isn't it?"

"I would've known."

"Until recently, there only used to be only one hybrid... Doubtful that you could acquire such knowledge."

"I still don't believe you."

"How else do you think I managed to fight off witches for so many centuries? I even had a few under my command."

Bonnie tried not to listen to him. She tried not to believe.

"Try again. Try to use your magic on the bite. See if it fares any better," he teased, smirking.

Bonnie looked away in mortification. She wasn't going to fail in front of him.

"You're not going to try again, because you know I am right."

Bonnie steeled herself against his obvious relish.

"I'm surprised you didn't bite me earlier, if it's so potent," she retorted, eyes spitting fire.

"Well. Before, you had the power of one hundred witches. After that, you stayed out of my way. But now, you got into this trouble all by yourself. I had _nothing_ to do with it," he said, crossing his heart mockingly.

 _Like hell you didn't_ , she thought, but instead asked,

"Where is Caroline? And Tyler?"

Klaus chuckled. "Here I am telling you you have been fatally wounded and you ask me about your pathetic friends."

Bonnie narrowed her eyes. "If you hurt them…"

"I don't believe you're in a position to make threats, love. But you may rest assured that they know I am here."

" _What_?"

"They realized, of course, that I'm the only one who can help you."

She snorted bitterly. "Right. You and helping."

"One sip of my blood and you will be as good as new."

Bonnie grimaced, feeling sick to the stomach at the mere idea of it. "That's horrible."

"I find it… _charming_ how you act as if you had a choice in the matter."

"Of course I do. I'm _not_ drinking your blood. Besides, this has to be a trick. The only time you help someone is when you want something in return, and whatever it is I'm not –"

Bonnie felt a sudden burning sensation at her neck and keeled over, moaning into her pillow.

In the blink of an eye, he was at her side again, bending over to grasp her cheek.

Bonnie flinched at the touch, not because it was cold, but because it was warm. She could do nothing but stare into his eyes as he gently moved her head to the side to look at the wound.

"Stop –" she demanded hoarsely, but his fingers had already pulled off the bandage.

Bonnie bit her tongue not to scream.

"This looks quite awful," he murmured sadly.

"I don't need your pity," she sneered. "Just leave me alone."

But instead of leaving her, he sat down on the bed next to her.

"You tried to kill me, Bonnie Bennett. You almost succeeded. The only other person who got that close was my father. I sucked his soul dry. Yet here I am trying to save you."

Bonnie looked over his features with alarm. He wasn't mocking her anymore. In fact, he looked serious. What part of the plan was this? And how would he hurt her next?

"I can see you trying to figure me out. Alas, I don't want anything in return. I genuinely wish to help you."

Bonnie's eyebrows furrowed in disbelief.

" _Why_?"

"Well…for one, it's common courtesy. I was trying to get the blonde killed, not you. It would be _rude_ not to repair such a gaffe."

Bonnie rolled her eyes, already regretting her asking.

"And for another…" he trailed off, his eyes turning a degree softer, "when I heard what happened to you I did not feel as pleased as I thought I would. It occurred to me that it would be a shame to lose an enemy of your caliber."

His fingers traced her jaw slowly, meticulously. He turned his palm over and his knuckles grazed her cheek tenderly. His eyes looked glazed over, almost as if he were lost in thought.

Bonnie was shocked by the unexpected caress. She was not sure how to react, whether to pull away or…

"It can be lonely without a capable nemesis to keep you on your toes."

"You're insane," she muttered, although a part of her understood.

"Maybe so, but I don't wish for you to die," he replied. "Not like this. Not _now_. We will have more battles, you and I. If you must perish, you will perish by my hand. Let me help you, Bonnie."

It was bewildering, how he went from cruelty to kindness to cruelty again, in a matter of moments.

 _He's a manipulator. Don't fall for it._

Something about it, though, seemed authentic.

Bonnie released a haggard breath. She felt her body drifting away from her with each rise and fall of her chest. The cure was right in front of her. She just had to reach out…

"I want to live," she whispered feebly.

Klaus smiled a broad smile. "You _will_."

He placed a hand under her waist and lifted her gently to him. Bonnie crumpled into his chest. Her fingers almost touched the beads at his neck. She had never been this close to him and she remarked how he smelled of aftershave, paint and something wolfish and primeval.

He bit into his wrist, the fangs making a soft tearing sound.

Bonnie raised her head and saw the blood pooling at his wrist. It didn't look so horrible anymore. In fact, it looked almost tantalizing.

She licked her lips.

"Drink," he urged gently.

She took hold of his hand and opened her mouth. At first, she licked shyly at the red liquid, afraid that she might spit it all out. But as her tongue got used to the taste, she started licking more vigorously, until she was lapping at the blood like a kitten at a saucer of milk.

Klaus sighed and closed his eyes.

She pressed her lips to his wrist and started drinking in earnest. She could feel her body regaining its strength. The magic inside her was troubled, but her senses were sharp, her mind was not fuzzy anymore.

She drank until she felt her throat close up from the blood. She could swear she heard Klaus make a strangled sound beside her, but she couldn't be certain because in the next moment he was wrenching his hand away and she was lying back down on the bed, head reeling and mouth slack.

Klaus looked vaguely unsettled by what had transpired even though he had suggested it. Still, he nodded his head in satisfaction.

"Well done, love."

She didn't get a chance to throw back a scathing remark, because the next thing she knew, he was gone and she found herself too drowsy with sleep to care.

* * *

 _I'm never drinking again._

Her head was swollen and her tongue felt like cotton inside her mouth. The tequila she'd had at Caroline's birthday/funeral had got to her head and _fast_.

She stretched her hand and tried to locate her alarm clock, but instead was met with empty air.

She blinked, her eyes watering from the light.

"Bon! You're awake!"

 _Oomph!_

Her lungs were crushed and her arms were immobilized as Matt pulled her into a bear hug.

"Bonnie, I'm so sorry! It was all my fault!" another familiar voice screamed in her ear.

Apparently, her friends were trying to kill her.

"Okay, give me room to breathe…"

They stepped back respectfully so she could finally look at their faces. Caroline looked miserable and guilty, whereas Matt was mostly relieved.

"It's not your fault, Care," she sighed, rubbing her arms. Although, she couldn't quite remember why Caroline was sorry in the first place. Something about Tyler?

"I should've listened to you when you said to run. I should've stopped him! Ugh, I hate what he did to you. And I hate that we had to ask Klaus for help. I'm just glad you're okay. I'm never trusting Tyler again!"

Slowly and painfully, her memories came back, one by one. Night time, a kiss that she shouldn't have witnessed, hungry fangs reaching for skin, Tyler's yellow eyes, a hospital bed, Klaus bending down to grasp her jaw, the taste of blood…

Bonnie reached out and touched her neck where the wound should have been. But it was gone. Her skin was as smooth as a newborn's.

"How are you feeling, Bon?" Matt asked tentatively.

"I'm – I'm okay, I think."

She could move her arms and legs fine and she no longer felt exhausted and listless.

She swung her feet down and got up from the bed shakily. Matt and Caroline both dived in to hold her, but she swatted their hands away.

"I can do it on my own."

And she did. She walked to the door and back. Her stomach rumbled. She was hungry. And thirsty. And she wanted to go out and breathe some fresh air.

"I actually feel great," she spoke with wonder.

* * *

In the time that she had been out cold, the town had not burned down, but Elena had been put into close danger again. Bonnie reflexively regretted not being there for her when the girl had needed her, but she reasoned with herself that almost _dying_ was a good excuse.

Besides, her best friend was safe now. She had sounded upset over the phone, but she was fine and that's all that mattered.

Bonnie had not been able to fully sympathize with her about Stefan because she was inordinately giddy. Even now, hours from her hospital release she was still bizarrely cheerful.

Everything seemed all right in the world for a change.

She smiled a stupid smile as she got into her shower and turned on the water.

Maybe tomorrow she'd feel her ordinary self again, but the strange thrill of having avoided death once again was infectious.

She let the water soak up her skin, clean off any remnants of her attack and...well, Klaus.

She hadn't fully come to terms with what he'd done for her, but she was expecting it to bite her in the ass quite soon.

But not now.

Now, everything was peachy. And she definitely didn't want to attribute her sense of wellbeing to his blood.

She stepped out of the steaming shower with a towel wrapped around her body and practically skipped to her room, humming a familiar tune in her head.

She sat down at her dressing table and grabbed a hairbrush, still humming happily.

And then she happened to look in the mirror. She dropped the hairbrush.

His reflection was staring back at her. The same dark blue eyes, the same lazy, insidious smirk.

She shrieked and turned around, but there was no one behind her.

Bonnie sat up quickly and looked around in a state of agitation.

 _No. This isn't happening. He can't. He can't be here._

She went to the window and lifted one of the blinds to look out, but the twilit horizon looked peaceful and the road was empty.

"You won't find me there."

She froze in her step. Beads of water fell down her back and hit the floor with a deafening splash.

Klaus Mikaelson was sprawled across her bed, watching her.

"What the hell? You weren't in here a moment ago! How - how _are_ you here? I never invited you in!"

"I'm not really here," he replied, drawing patterns in her duvet. "But you are."

"What is that supposed to mean? Get out of my room!"

She lifted her hand and attacked him with her magic, but he didn't flinch. Instead, she almost had to kneel because she had just given herself an aneurysm.

 _What in the world...?_

"On second thoughts, you probably _shouldn't_ have drunk my blood," he quipped innocently.

"You bastard," Bonnie growled, her good humor gone.

"Ah-ah. I didn't conjure myself here, did I? Your mind is to blame."

"You tricked me!"

He placed a hand over his chest in distress. "I did no such thing. I only omitted the side-effects of...drinking me."

"I don't want to conjure you! I don't want you in my head!" she cried out, panic flooding her veins.

Klaus lifted himself off the bed and brushed invisible seams from his shirt. He walked up to her and pulled a wet strand from her face. Bonnie flinched.

"Then get me out," he whispered.


	2. the mother

_A/N: Thank you for your reviews and for welcoming me back. Here is the second chapter, only slightly altered. Hope you enjoy!_

* * *

 **a little drop of poison**

When Tyler had returned to the mansion looking like a wounded pup and reeking of magic, Klaus had wanted answers.

"Well? Is it done?"

Tyler had shifted his head miserably. "I bit her."

"Then why do you smell like you've stumbled upon a witches' den?"

Tyler had growled. "I could've killed Caroline! Why would you do this?"

" _Could_ have? You mean you didn't?"

"Bonnie got in the way in time. But I – I had to bite her. I had to bite _someone_. Because of you!"

"The witch. You bit her."

At first, he'd considered logistics. If Tyler had really done it, Bonnie Bennett would be dead in the next twenty-four hours. Yes, she'd hold out longer than a vampire, but eventually she would succumb.

Then he considered his own feelings on the matter. If the witch should die, how would it affect _him_?

He had outlived so many foes, sometimes he even stopped to grieve for them. It was always a shame to lose a good adversary.

But this was different.

Instead of sadness, he felt oddly restless and _angry_.

He had never had many worthy opponents in his life. In a thousand years, he could still count them on his fingers. One of them had been Bonnie Bennett, a living, breathing teenage witch. He had always thought a day would come when they would face each other again. He'd been comforted by the knowledge that she would be there, ready to fight him when the time came.

She would not disappoint. She would not die until _he_ killed her.

And now Tyler had undone this.

He could not stay his hand, he punished him. He seized Tyler by the neck and threw him across the drawing room, scratching the antique parquet. He held him down until he begged to be forgiven. The only thing that prevented Klaus from continuing his punishment was the need to reach Bonnie and cure her.

He had found her looking more fragile than he liked, but in possession of the same white fire in her eyes that would make even the strongest hesitate.

He had never realized until now that she was an important element in his life, not only because she was a useful witch, but because she was a true opposite. He _needed_ this kind of righteous enemy to keep him in check. As long as she survived, he was free to be as despicable and cruel as he wanted. She would always be there to keep the balance.

For the first time in many years, Klaus was stirred by the need to protect what was _good_ , so that he could be _bad_.

He almost felt sorry that, in drinking his blood, Bonnie would be bound to him in a way she might hate.

Almost.

But afterwards, he was not sorry at all.

* * *

Bonnie rubbed her eyes several times to make sure she wasn't seeing things. But the manila folder on the table and the note attached to it were still frustratingly real. She paced the kitchen with wide steps, turning the matter over in her head. She could not see why he would do this for her.

What game was he playing? What was he hoping to gain from it? And why now?

It was clear to her, at least, that last night's apparition had not been a hoax. He had eventually disappeared from her bedroom, but it had taken some effort on her part to clear her thoughts. The blood she had drunk had forged a connection between them that made it possible for him to reach her, reach into her mind.

How else would he have known that she had dreamed about her mother and the coffins again?

She walked back to the table and looked over the note.

 _Bonnie,_

 _To prove how profusely apologetic I am for the inconvenience I've caused you, I have taken it upon myself to ease your mind of a difficult task. You will find enclosed in the folder your mother's personal file, her new address and a number by which to contact her._

 _Best of wishes,_

 _Klaus_

A picture of Abby Bennett stuck out of the folder. The woman who smiled back was practically a stranger, yet instantly recognizable.

The Original was actually reuniting her with her mother.

 _Damn him._

It didn't make sense. He was sabotaging himself. Bonnie wanted to track Abby down to ask for her help, not her affection. She had long ago gotten used to a motherless life. What she needed was another witch to assist her in opening the last coffin. Stefan had told her that defeating Klaus hinged upon that coffin. Why would the hybrid put himself in danger like this? Didn't he know that _two_ Bennett witches were bad news?

 _He has something to gain from it. Always_ , she thought miserably.

Nevertheless, the note still unnerved her. She could see that he had sat down and written it for her in old ink. His handwriting was the kind you saw in calligraphy classes. Even the paper smelled ancient. She had wanted to burn it, but found herself unable to dispose of it.

Bonnie bit her lip. Even if Klaus had set a trap for her, she still wanted to find Abby. But she needed someone to go with her as backup.

Her options were few.

If she called Elena, her friend would surely tell her it was not safe. She'd claim Klaus was trying to hurt her and she shouldn't give him what he wanted, whatever that was. After the events in the woods, Caroline and Matt would be equally vocal about her staying put. Stefan and Damon were still busy keeping the coffins secret and she wasn't sure she could trust them. That left Tyler, who had bitten her, and Jeremy, whose memories had been wiped and was miles away.

 _I guess I have to do this by myself._

But when she stepped out into her driveway, backpack slung over one shoulder, a tall young man was waiting for her at her car. His grey eyes scanned her with detachment and a hooded smile teased his lips.

"Bonnie Bennett. Name's Tony. Klaus sent me to look after you. We're going to see your mother, yes?"

He was one of his hybrids.

Bonnie wanted to laugh. How did he expect her to spend several hours with a creature that could kill her with a single bite? Not only that, but he was also a spy for Klaus.

The hybrid interrupted her before she had time to voice her disapproval.

"If I don't help you, Klaus has ordered me to rip my own heart out."

Bonnie grimaced. _There it is._

Leave it to him to turn every gesture of kindness into an act of cruelty.

He must've known that she wouldn't let – what was his name? – _Tony_ kill himself, even if he was a spy.

 _Well, if this is a trap, it can't be worse than what's happened to me already_ , she thought grimly and got in the car with Klaus' hybrid.

Tony drove in silence as Bonnie read and reread her mother's file. Catching up with an absent parent's life was depressing work. It said there that her mother had remade her life in a new town with a new family. She had adopted a boy, Jamie. She had a job. A house of her own. And she never gave a thought to her daughter back in Mystic Falls. But never mind that.

Bonnie set down the folder and looked at the scenery unfolding outside her window. Without looking at her companion, she asked,

"So what else did Klaus tell you to do? Did he tell you to find the location of the coffins? Because you're not getting that out of me."

The man kept quiet as he made a turn in the road and Bonnie thought he hadn't heard her, but at length he spoke.

"No. He doesn't want that. Just told me to protect you. Keep you safe. Your mom too."

Bonnie wasn't fooled, but she reasoned that the Original could have killed her mother easily and removed her as a threat, if he'd needed to. The fact that he hadn't done it suggested bigger plans. Maybe Stefan had it all wrong. Maybe he wasn't _that_ scared of the last coffin.

"Let me guess. If you don't, you die."

"Pretty much," he confirmed.

Bonnie sighed, resting her head against the seat. "Don't you find that unfair? That he asks you to put your life on the line?"

The man scratched his stubble indifferently. "It's a show of good faith. He just trusts me not to fail. That's all."

"That's a nice way of looking at it. But don't you wish you were free of his hold?"

"No. He spared me the pain of turning every full moon. I'll always be grateful."

Bonnie knew he was being sincere. He really believed everything he said. Tyler must have been in the same helpless position. She wished she could help them somehow. It saddened her, how much genuine power Klaus had over them. She was one of the few people he couldn't control.

 _Oh, can't he? What about the blood?_

She shook her head to get rid of that ugly reminder.

"Does he ask you to run errands like this a lot?" she asked instead.

"I'm his right hand man," he nodded.

Bonnie chewed on her lip. "You can't tell me why he's doing all of this, can you?"

The man turned his head towards her and gave her a cursory glance. The hooded smile returned.

"Afraid not."

"I thought so," she mumbled in disappointment. "Thanks anyway."

"Well…I can tell you _one_ of the reasons."

Bonnie perked up, raising her head eagerly. "Yes?"

He coughed awkwardly, one hand on the steering wheel, the other rubbing his neck.

"He's trying to make a good impression."

* * *

To say that having tea with her mom, her half-son and a hybrid was awkward was the understatement of the year.

"Does he _have_ to loom over us like that?" Abby questioned, narrowing her eyes.

Bonnie cleared her throat.

"Tony, could you give us some privacy?"

The hybrid huffed but stepped out of the living room. Not out of earshot though. Bonnie knew she had to be careful with her words so as not to reveal the coffins' location. But the way things were going, she wasn't sure she needed the precautions. Abby Bennett hadn't been very helpful so far.

" _Tony_?" her mother echoed. "You know him?"

"Not exactly."

"But you know what he is, don't you?" she said, her eyes flitting to the dark figure in the hallway.

Bonnie waved him off. "We're not here to talk about him."

"Please tell me you're not hanging around Klaus."

Bonnie's eyebrows shot up. "Excuse me?"

"Hybrids can only mean Klaus. I already dealt with his father once and almost lost everything. Don't make my mistakes."

"I'm sorry, but you're not in a position to judge or advise me. I just want to know what you can do to help me. That's all," Bonnie spoke coolly.

"I'm only trying to protect you when I say this –"

"A little bit late for that," Bonnie cut her off.

Jamie coughed awkwardly. "Maybe I should brew a new pot…tea's getting cold." He got up and went after the hybrid.

Abby lowered her head and pursed her lips. "You're right, Bonnie. I should probably just stay quiet… I feel awful I wasn't there for you. I should have protected you every step of the way. Instead I ran."

Bonnie's grip on her mug was bit too tight. She didn't like where the conversation was going.

"It's – it's okay. Grams did the job very well. Now, about your powers."

If Abby was disappointed at her daughter's abrupt change of subject, she didn't show it.

"It's like I said. I lost all my powers desiccating Mikael. They never came back. I don't want the same thing happening to you."

"But have you tried –"

"Rerouting my channels? Yes, the spirits won't answer."

Bonnie tapped the mug with her fingers restlessly. "You mean you can't help me at all?"

"I wish there was a way –"

She groaned, pressing a hand to her forehead. " _Great_."

"I know you were counting on me. I'm sorry."

Bonnie looked down at her fingers. "I guess I'll have to open it by myself." _Again and again and again._

Abby shook her head. "Please don't, Bonnie. It could destroy you."

Bonnie shrugged. "I'm strong. I've always been strong, if you haven't noticed."

"I know that, but someone like Klaus Mikaelson can put you in an early grave. Stay far _away_ from him and his kind."

"This is my last chance to defeat him," Bonnie whispered, looking over her shoulder warily.

Abby smiled bitterly. "You know I thought the same thing when I faced Mikael. I thought I had a chance."

"I _do_."

"Maybe. But if you want to win, you'll have to go about it a different way."

Bonnie scrunched her forehead in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"I mean magic isn't _enough_. Magic alone won't defeat him."

"What will?"

Abby pressed her lips into a thin line and looked down into her mug. Her silence was maddening.

Bonnie cast a mute charm over the room.

"You can talk now –"

Abby looked up stiffly. "Whatever is in that coffin won't stop him. He's a monster. And the only way you defeat a monster is by becoming a monster yourself."

Bonnie frowned. "I don't understand."

"I was close with Mikael. I almost became…" her mother trailed off, her voice shaking. "I left you, didn't I? That's the price."

Bonnie looked away. _No. That's not an excuse for leaving._ Her mother was just saving face.

"I will find another way," Bonnie said, trying to convince not only her mother, but herself too. _I won't become like you. I won't become like him either._

They remained silent for a long time, until the hybrid walked back into the room.

"Had a nice chat? Good. We have to go now."

Bonnie turned in her chair. "Go?"

"Back to Mystic Falls. We're taking your mom with."

Abby looked at the hybrid. "I told my daughter I can't help her. That should be good news to you and your master."

Tony scratched the back of his head. "I don't know about that. But orders are orders."

Bonnie swore under her breath. "You didn't tell me about these _orders_."

"Yeah. Sorry about that," he shrugged. He didn't sound very sorry.

"I'm not going," Abby declared stubbornly. "He can come here if he wants a quarrel."

"Thought you'd say that."

Before either of them could stop him, the hybrid had Jamie by the scruff of his neck and was threatening to snap it.

"Tony, don't!" Bonnie cried out.

"Tell her to come along peacefully then."

Bonnie looked over at her mother. Abby's face was so pale she looked like a ghost. She clenched and unclenched her fists. "I'll do anything, just don't hurt him."

Bonnie swallowed down the irrational pang of jealousy. "What does Klaus want with her?"

"He'll tell you himself, I'm guessing. Remember, my life's on the line."

Bonnie heaved a sigh. She didn't know how she felt about bringing her mom back to Mystic Falls. Part of her wanted to run, like Abby.

"I'll go," her mother said softly.

* * *

The ride back into town was loaded with tension and unspoken words. Bonnie found it impossible to say anything to her mom that wouldn't sound fake and cold. And Abby was too wrapped up in her own thoughts to notice her daughter's disquiet. Tony alone was humming to a tune on the radio, oblivious to the charged atmosphere.

Bonnie grew more and more irritated. She turned to the driver.

"You know, if all Klaus wanted from the start was to bring my mother to Mystic Falls, why didn't he just do that? Why the lies and the note and the charade? Why even bring me along?"

Tony blew air through his mouth and chuckled.

"I told you. He wants to make a good impression. He wants you to appreciate him."

Bonnie caught Abby staring at her meaningfully in the mirror. Her mom looked surprised. Not the pleasant kind of surprised.

"It's not like that. He's just trying to manipulate me," Bonnie muttered embarrassed.

Abby remained stoically silent, but she exuded disapproval through every pore.

When the car finally stopped it was night time and they were parked in front of Klaus' Family Mansion. The doors opened wide and Tony ushered them inside the sweeping hallway where none other than the Original himself was waiting with two glasses of wine.

"Ah, Bonnie. You received my note," he greeted her, his eyes lighting up.

Bonnie raised an eyebrow. "How could I miss it?"

He walked up to her and slipped one glass between her fingers. "Refreshments?"

Bonnie stared down at the glass. Who knew what he'd put in it. "You know I'm not legally an adult, right?"

"I won't tell," he winked.

Bonnie accepted the glass reluctantly.

Klaus turned to Abby. "You brought your mother along. How lovely."

Abby glared at him. "No, _you_ brought me here. What kind of trick is this?"

"Let's retire to the drawing room and discuss, shall we?" he said, placing a hand on Bonnie's lower back. It was a very light touch but she felt a sharp tingling sensation where Klaus' fingers were nesting. She wanted to pull away, but Tony had grabbed her mother's arm and was leading her towards the drawing room. Several other hybrids were watching them behind parted doors.

She gripped her glass and let him guide her into the room. She made sure, however, not to make eye contact or lean into him too much by accident.

"I hope you managed to rest well last night," he murmured close to her ear. Bonnie pulled her head away.

 _The bastard_. Of course he knew about the blood connection.

She breathed out and smiled a saccharine smile.

"Thank you, I did."

He narrowed his eyes at her and his jaw clicked, but a devious smirk played on his lips.

"Good."


	3. the deal

_A/N: here is the third chapter with some small rewrites. Thank you for the reviews and I hope you enjoy!_

* * *

 **a little drop of poison**

"Shall we discuss this over dinner, like civilized people?"

Bonnie sat down in the offered seat with some trepidation. Klaus made sure to tuck her chair in by himself. His hands lingered on the back of her seat for a moment longer before he moved at the front of the table. Different assortments of aperitifs had been placed in front of them along with their glasses of wine. Bonnie's was already half-empty. She had taken a few gulps in an attempt to qualm her nerves. Her mother hadn't touched her glass. She sat opposite her daughter with a fierce expression on her face, ignoring Klaus' remarks about trying the food.

Tony presided over them from some feet away, standing with his back to the fireplace. He was mildly amused at the scene unfolding before him, but Bonnie could tell by his posture that he was waiting for Klaus' orders.

"Now that we are more comfortable, let's talk about why you are here."

"Yes, I'd like to know that _very_ much seeing as you practically forced me," Abby snapped, barely containing her anger.

Bonnie sensed her mom was maybe five minutes away from grabbing a fork and stabbing the Original in the eye, and while she would have liked to see that, Bonnie was more interested in hearing him out, because a scheming Klaus was never a good thing.

"I see that your mother is already angry at me. I would have thought she would be glad to see her daughter again…after so many years," Klaus remarked with contrived sadness.

" _Don't_ play that game, Mikaelson," Abby snarled. "We both know this isn't about a family reunion."

"Cold words from a loved one. I think Bonnie deserves a bit more consideration," he argued, inclining his head towards her in acknowledgement.

"And I think you should leave my daughter out of it."

"I'm afraid I can't."

"What if I make you?"

" _Please_. A powerless witch is not exactly menacing," he jeered.

"Powerless or not, I can stand up against you. Just like I stood up against your father. He thought he was all-powerful too."

Klaus' expression darkened considerably and his fingers twitched on the armrest of his chair.

Bonnie cleared her throat. "I'd appreciate it if you two didn't talk about me like I wasn't in the room."

The Original turned towards her with a tight smile. "My apologies, love."

Bonnie wrinkled her nose. Every time she heard that namesake, she wanted to gag. " _Love_ ". Something you never imagined or wanted to imagine coming out of the hybrid's mouth.

"Let's get this out of the way. _I_ get to choose what I get involved in and what I don't," she declared, eyeing Abby pointedly. "And you," she said, turning towards Klaus, "don't think that helping me find my mom gives you free pass at the coffins. I'm not revealing their location."

Klaus watched her for one long, uncomfortable moment before he wrenched his head away and signaled to Tony. His right hand man walked briskly to the other end of the room and brought out a young woman dressed as a cocktail waitress. She walked up to the table with a bottle of something dark in her hand. She poured some of it into Klaus' glass. It looked thick and viscous and it took Bonnie a couple of moments to realize it was blood.

"Wanda is here to take your orders. Any specific drinks you'd like made? A refill, perhaps?" he asked, eyeing her glass.

Bonnie shuddered. "No thanks."

Klaus took a sip from his glass.

"Are you sure? She makes wonderful Bloody Marys," he grinned with red-tipped fangs.

"Listen to him. You'll be wanting a drink later," Tony muttered as he passed her by.

"Back to the matter at hand," she insisted.

Klaus waved Tony and Wanda away. The girl walked like a puppet on strings. Bonnie wondered briefly if the waitress would become dinner for the hybrid after this awful meeting came to an end.

"Like I said, you're not getting anything out of me," Bonnie insisted, stabbing the tablecloth with her forefinger.

"What makes you think I want," Klaus paused, pressing the tip of his fingers to his lips, "to get anything out of you?"

His smirk twisted Bonnie's stomach unpleasantly.

"I –"

"Stop harassing her with your games," Abby interrupted crossly. She had her hand on her fork, just like Bonnie had predicted.

The Original lifted his glass to his mouth. "Games? I _never_ play games."

"Then tell us what you want," Bonnie demanded.

"Very well. I'm not interested to know where the coffins are. I don't want their location. I only want you to open the last one."

Bonnie blinked. The ground seemed to shift under her feet. The heat from the fireplace turned into a damp chill.

"You _want_ the coffin to be opened," she repeated numbly.

"Of course."

"But – you gave Stefan the impression that that was the _last_ thing you wanted."

Klaus grinned. "Naturally."

"Why?"

" _Why_?" he echoed amused. "Why should one ever reveal one's true intentions?"

Bonnie sighed, throwing her hands in the air. "I forgot that everything with you is a power play. Why are you revealing your intentions _now_?"

"Because I believe you and I are on the same side."

Bonnie laughed. "Are you _serious_?"

"Deadly so. We both have something in common, you see."

"What could that possibly be?"

"A rather pesky doppelganger we can't get rid of."

Bonnie's eyebrows shot up instantly. "What are you talking about? I don't want to get rid of Elena –"

Klaus rolled his eyes. "I said _can't_ , not won't. And you truly can't get rid of her. She is like the plague, unfortunately. And I have lived through several of those, so I should know."

Tony snorted behind them. He tried and failed to sober up when Bonnie shot him a look.

"Oh, yes, I know you love her," Klaus continued with disdain. "Everyone in this town seems to, for some obscure reason. But I _don't_. And I particularly _don't_ love having to mind her pointless existence just to ensure my hybrids survive. She's not only extremely fragile and feeble-minded, but she is also worshipped by those two blundering fools who would turn her into a vampire at the drop of a hat. Why they would wish to prolong that creature's lifespan is beyond me, but I stand to lose a great deal if something were to happen to that brat."

Bonnie was startled by Klaus' embittered speech. She wondered how Stefan and Damon would have reacted to such an unflattering description. She'd never heard anyone rail so adamantly against Elena and it secretly amused her. She knew deep down that her friend was not a "brat", but she couldn't lie – it was refreshing to hear that not every man in the world was in love with her.

"I think I'm beginning to understand where you're going with this. You don't want Elena to be your blood bank."

"Good. And _you_ don't want that either. I want to be able to make hybrids on my own. You want to give that Petrova scamp her freedom. I am fueled by practicality, and you, by morals. But we may come to an agreement."

Bonnie knew she wouldn't like the next part. The idea that Elena could finally be free of Klaus' terror was too good to be true. There had to be a catch.

"What sort of agreement?" Abby intervened, shifting wary looks between the two.

"You scratch my back, I scratch yours," Klaus replied, eyes still locked on Bonnie.

"Who is in that coffin, Klaus?" Bonnie asked after a pause.

"The woman who used a doppelganger's blood to turn me and my family into vampires. An Original Witch."

Abby gasped. "Esther. Your mother."

"Indeed. You two would have gotten along splendidly. You're both neglectful caregivers and unreasonably short-tempered."

Abby meant to protest, but Bonnie interrupted her. "You want to wake her. Why? And what does it have to do with Elena?"

"My mother mixed the doppelganger blood with mine when she made me into who I am. Thus, the hybrid is conditioned by the doppelganger. She can undo this spell. She can make Elena unnecessary to me. But only if she is...brought back."

Bonnie chewed on her lip in thought. "Would she agree to this if she were?"

Klaus smiled. "I have ways of coaxing her."

"Would she be a threat to anyone?" Bonnie pressed on.

"Bonnie, you're not actually considering this!" Abby was outraged. "Waking up an Original Witch! There are a thousand consequences! Not to mention opening the coffin alone might destroy you!"

"I'm not so easily destroyed," Bonnie retaliated. "I've taken on Originals before."

Klaus beamed proudly. "She _has."_

"And you're willing to take that risk?"

"The display of concern is touching, _truly_ , but I'm afraid you have little say in this," he pointed out, eyes narrowed.

"Then why am I here if I don't have a say?" Abby shot back.

"Simple. The spell keeping the coffin sealed is a generation spell. It requires two witches related by blood to open it. Preferably, a mother and a daughter."

Bonnie sighed. "That's not going to work. Abby lost her powers."

"Thanks to my bastard father, yes. But that is a _small_ predicament. A witch never loses her magic. It only needs strong motivation to come out," he replied, untroubled. "And despite evidence to the contrary, your mother does care for you. Don't you, _Abby_? You wouldn't let your daughter do this alone, would you?"

Bonnie could see her mother was at war with herself. Klaus had her right where he wanted. It pained Abby to go against her better instincts, but it pained Bonnie even more to know that the woman who had given birth to her needed to be persuaded to help her.

She should have been more furious with Klaus, but he struck a good bargain. One where her friends got to live another day and he left town for good with his hybrids. After all, Elena was the only thing keeping him here, wasn't it?

"I will help my daughter whatever way I can," Abby sighed, looking at Bonnie with sad, pleading eyes. "But I hope she makes the right choice and walks away from this."

"Well, Bonnie, what will it be? Will you _walk_ _away_?" he asked, leaning forward, his eyes glinting with secret provocation. She knew what he was doing. He was taunting her, trying to get her to commit to it just to show him she _could_.

"If I open the coffin, you can make sure that your mother will perform the right spell to free my friend?"

"I give you an Original's word."

"I don't know if that's worth much."

"Give me the chance to show you, then."

His stare practically burned through her retina. She looked away. "I'm ready for that refill."

* * *

"You made the right choice," Tony winked at her as he led her mother back to the car.

"Uh-uh…probably made a deal with the devil," she muttered under her breath.

"The devil? I don't know if I should be flattered or offended."

 _Speak of the devil._

Klaus stood in the foyer with his hands crossed over his chest and a devious smile playing on his lips.

She couldn't tell if it was all an act, or if he was just genuinely amused by her all the time. She preferred the former.

"You do know that if you decide to stab me in the back I will get _very_ angry, don't you?"

"I have seen you angry and it's a rather fetching look."

"I'm serious, Klaus."

"So am I."

Bonnie narrowed her eyes. She took a step closer to him and jabbed her finger into his chest.

"You can stop it with the empty flattery. I've already agreed to your terms."

Klaus grabbed her finger. "Is that what you think this is?"

Bonnie scoffed. "What else could it be? I know you. You're only interested in one thing and that's power."

For a moment, something flickered in his eyes - amber like a dragon fly - but it was gone before she could take a better look.

He cleared his throat, sidestepping her on the way to the door. "I don't need to tell you that the Salvatores are to know nothing of our little arrangement."

Bonnie was surprised by the change of subject, but she didn't let it show.

"It would be a lot easier if they did, though."

"No, it would not. They are unpredictable and foolish. And they present a risk."

"What risk? You said it yourself. They," Bonnie winced, "worship Elena. If they could keep her safe forever, they would. They'd be more than okay with you severing ties with the doppelganger blood."

Klaus chuckled. "Yes, until one of them decides they know better and turns her into a vampire. Or Stefan thinks up a plan to save Elena _and_ prevent me from making more hybrids. Those two can never be trusted. You know why?"

Bonnie shook her head.

"Because they are in _love_ ," he spat with disdain. "And you cannot reason with people who are diseased like that."

"Diseased?" Bonnie echoed.

"Look at your own mother. Her semblance of love for you is preventing her from doing what she wants. She is _weak_. If that is not a disease, I don't know what is."

Bonnie bit into her cheek. "You have a bleak way of looking at the world, I'll give you that."

"Centuries of experience have confirmed my vision."

Bonnie swallowed. "So, Stefan and Damon are not to be trusted. But I _am_?"

Klaus nodded. "Your head is clear, Bonnie. If I only want power, you only want justice. We are uncorrupted, you and I."

Bonnie wanted to laugh. How was _he_ uncorrupted? How was _she_?

"That's not true. You said it yourself. I love Elena. And I love my friends. And I love my town. That love makes me strong."

Klaus chuckled and applied pressure to her finger. She had almost forgotten he still held her hand. For some reason, she was reminded of the apparition in her bedroom. Her stomach clenched and she fought to stay still and not run away.

"You haven't truly been diseased yet, love," he replied, his eyes dwelling on the fall and rise of her chest. "You will know when you are."

Bonnie frowned. She wanted to say she knew what he meant, that she had felt all the complexity and ugliness and hardship of love, but somehow her mouth would not form the words. A fading image of Jeremy still dwelt in her heart. She was becoming accustomed to its wear and tear.

"But let us hope you and I will stay clear of such folly," he concluded, placing a hand on the small of her back and guiding her towards the exit.

* * *

Bonnie woke with a start.

She was wrenched from her sleep by the murmur of a soft voice in her ear. It felt like honey over shards of glass.

She opened her eyes. The shadows on the ceiling resembled teeth. Everything was still dark and quiet, but her blood rushed to her veins with a thunderous noise.

"Trouble sleeping, love?"

He was sitting next to her on the bed again, barely a breath away.

Bonnie rolled over and tried to get out of bed, but he wrapped a hand around her wrist and pulled her back.

The apparition smiled a sinister smile. "Trying to run from me? What a pointless exercise."

"You won't be in my head forever," she spat, refusing to meet his glimmering eyes. "Your blood will fade."

"If you are so sure of that, lie back down and sleep."

Bonnie was disturbed by how real it felt, his touch. His fingers gripped her wrist with the same entitlement Klaus would have certainly exhibited.

"With you watching me? Not a chance."

"Then I will only listen. You talk in your sleep. In fact, you mentioned something about a disease."

"Don't."

"Then what will you have me do?"

"How about leave and never return?"

His laugh made the skin on her back rise in little ridges. "That is one thing your mind won't allow."

Bonnie realized it would be quite hard to get rid of him in the following days, seeing as her thoughts were occupied with him and the coffin.

" _Fine_. I'm going downstairs."

She grabbed her pillow and duvet and silently crept out of her room, hoping that Abby was asleep and not lingering downstairs. It was strange knowing that the "parent" bedroom was actually occupied for once.

Thankfully, the living room was empty.

She threw herself on the couch and closed her eyes, urging her mind to shut down and rest.

"I'll be here when you wake up," he promised, never too far away.


	4. the truth

**a little drop of poison**

Bonnie pushed her spoon inside her bowl without much enthusiasm. Breakfast with her biological mother after more than a decade of no contact should have been more emotional. More _something_.

Instead, it was just boring. She had to sit and listen as Abby ranted about healthy food choices for half an hour (apparently she only had one banana in her fridge and ate too much sugar; case in point, the _Cap'n Crunch_ she was having right now) and then another half on the need to "keep safe" from Klaus Mikaelson. The two subjects didn't mesh that well.

Grams had liked to nag her too, but she had been warm and personal about it. She'd always had a secret smile at the corner of her lips, even when she was mad at her. Abby was a stranger, smile or no smile. Bonnie could make herself think this person had a say in her life, but she couldn't make herself believe it.

Yet, deep down, something tugged at her heart whenever she noticed how much she looked like her, how much this woman resembled her in a basic way she couldn't deny. Like looking in the mirror and catching an angle of yourself you'd never seen before.

"...and I'm sure Rudy has no idea what you're up to half the time. Your father has always been great at managing his political life. Not so much his personal one. If he knew how many times you put yourself in danger..."

Bonnie rubbed her forehead. "I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss Dad. Every time he comes home he gives me a good lecture on boys, low-cut jeans, drinking, and oh yeah, sacrificial magic. He never skips that one."

Abby arched her eyebrows in surprise. "You've certainly got a mouth on you. I suppose you got that from me."

Bonnie smiled sadly. "I got it from Grams."

They were both silent for a moment, either because the memory was too painful or because it couldn't truly bring them together.

"If Sheila had been here," Abby said at length, "she would have known what to say. I'm not very good at this. I just know she would have never allowed this to happen."

"And what exactly happened?"

"What happened is that you shook hands with our worst enemy. The Mikaelsons tortured witches, owned them, treated them like objects half the time. And out of the bunch, Klaus is by far the cruelest."

Bonnie groaned. "I'm not binding my life to him or something!"

Although, to be fair, she still had to look over her shoulder to make sure his apparition wouldn't suddenly rear its ugly head when least wanted. Abby still knew nothing about the blood connection and Bonnie liked it that way.

But it meant next to nothing anyway. Blood, even hybrid blood, went away at some point. Klaus would only really be in her life for a temporary amount of time. His days in town were practically numbered. Soon he would be out of Mystic Falls and out of her life forever.

"You might as well. You think it ends with one deal? He'll ask for something else after that. And then some more. Once an Original is in your life, he's there to stay."

Bonnie rolled her eyes. "You're being overly dramatic."

"I'm being realistic. I see history repeating itself."

Bonnie rose and dumped her bowl in the sink, turning on the tap. "What would you have me _do_? If I don't help him, he'll still be a threat to everyone I know and love. He'll still _be_ in my life. The only way to get him out is to give him a reason to leave. That's what I'm doing."

Abby held her head in her hands and looked out the window like a sulking teenager. Bonnie put the clean bowl in the cupboard like the patient mother. It was funny how the roles were reserved.

 _Actually, maybe it's not that funny_ , Bonnie realized.

"I know you think you're doing what's right, but I'm afraid. I'm afraid you're going to end up getting hurt and I won't be able to prevent it. I understand why you don't believe me. I do. Maybe – maybe it's time I told you. You're old enough to know and I couldn't live with myself if I didn't at least try..." Abby trailed off, fingering her necklace with apprehension.

"What are you talking about? Tell me what?"

But their conversation was interrupted by a knock on the door. Bonnie froze with her hands lathered in soap. Millions of bad scenarios started running through her head, ranging from Elena finding out what she'd done to Stefan and Damon paying her a visit to stop her. She wasn't sure what she was going to do with it, but she grabbed the kitchen knife just in case, and walked up to the entrance with her heart in her throat.

"Look at you, love. Not a day's gone by since our agreement and you're already poised to kill."

She didn't have to turn her head to know Klaus was standing at the top of the stairs, looking down at her.

"I really don't need you in my head right now," she muttered under her breath and swung the door open.

"Whoa. Not a morning person I presume," Tony joked, looking down at the knife in surprise.

"Oh. Thank god it's you." Bonnie sighed with relief.

"Always good to know I'm in your prayers."

"Don't push it."

"So, making breakfast?"

"You just missed it."

"No worries. I have mine waiting in a warm bag," he replied with a shit-eating grin.

Bonnie was beginning to regret the relief. Maybe her friends ganging up on her with judgmental remarks was better than hearing a hybrid describe his diet.

"So listen, I'm still on mother-daughter duty today. Klaus' enemies are _your_ enemies now. Which is...practically everyone in town."

Bonnie looked past him at the sparsely populated street.

"Shh. Don't talk so loud."

"Afraid your pals will hear you?"

"I'm trying to keep this whole thing a secret."

"Boss isn't really someone you keep a secret, if you know what I mean. The whole town saw him at Homecoming -"

Bonnie groaned, knowing she'd live to regret the next move.

"Just come inside. It's not safe to talk out here."

If Tony was startled, he hid it well. He stepped over the threshold happily, almost like he was part of the household already.

For some reason, Bonnie couldn't picture him attacking her or being much of a threat. The decision to let him in seemed harmless. She had no idea why she harbored this illusion. Tyler had also seemed incapable of harming her. And she'd known Tyler since kindergarten. Meanwhile, Tony was a two-day acquaintance whom she was willing to allow into her home just because it _felt_ okay. Something was not right with her. But lately, caution had been thrown in the wind for the sake of efficiency.

"So, I'm guessing the biggest threat right now is those Guido numskulls."

Bonnie coughed to cover a short fit of laughter. Hybrids seemed to have a knack for creative slurs.

"Well, they're in charge of the coffins, yeah. But Esther's is being held in a separate location. So I'd just need them away from that spot."

"Is killing them off the table?"

"Yes," she confirmed sternly.

"Are you sure? Because I can make it look like an accident."

" _Bonnie_? Did you just invite the hybrid into your house?"

Abby looked like she'd swallowed a whole lemon, but to her credit, she tried to keep her tone civilized.

"My home, my rules, Mom."

"Is that how it works around here -"

"Served me good so far."

"Hey, Bennett family," Tony chimed in, clearing his throat. "Let's focus here. I'll be out of your hair soon. You need me to distract the Salvatores so you can open the coffin, yes?"

Bonnie nodded her head reluctantly. "Their presence would definitely slow things down. They don't want me to open the coffin yet, and if they knew it benefits Klaus in some way, they'd oppose it."

Abby threw her a look that seemed to say, _Why aren't_ _ **you**_ _opposing it?_

"Right. Well, I don't know much about them, except they both have really effeminate names. So what would constitute a distraction?"

Bonnie knew the answer to this one. It was almost too easy. And too hard. How could she take advantage of a friend, even if it was for her own good? She sighed, getting ready for the second big regret of the day.

"You were in the room when Klaus mentioned Elena Gilbert, right?"

Tony winked. "Gotcha. I'm on it."

" _Wait_. You can use her, but you _can't_ harm her. I forbid you to do that, understood?" Bonnie demanded, stepping up to him in her most menacing pose. It involved placing her hands on her hips.

Tony frowned. "That...leaves me with limited options."

"Figure it out. You're supposed to be resourceful. I'm sure you're just as good at keeping someone alive as you are at killing them."

"I take offense. I wouldn't kill her. I'm not an idiot. I know she has to stick around until Esther does the spell. I'd just carve her face a little bit."

"I said _no_."

Tony raised an eyebrow. "Boss is the one who gives orders around here."

"Your _boss_ asked _me_ for help, so the way I see it, you answer to me too," she argued, crossing her arms over her chest. But her domineering expression softened presently and she added, "However, I don't want to force you, like he does. So you can choose to follow my plan or you can choose to stand by and let me figure this out on my own."

"I appreciate the leeway. But how about we mix things up and stake the Guidos while the girlfriend has to watch? That way, we kill two birds with one stone."

Bonnie smiled.

"If you _do_ choose to follow my plan and you suddenly get an urge to _mix things up_ , remember that my magic can turn you into little ashes."

Tony contemplated her for some moments before turning to Abby with a grin.

"Good luck trying to ground this one."

* * *

Bonnie was perusing through the Grimoire to get a better handle of the generation spell, when her phone started ringing. In the deep crevices of the Lockwood cave it sounded like a trumpet.

Abby was sitting in a corner, eyes closed, forehead wrinkled in concentration as she tried to gauge the spirits locked within her. That she didn't open her eyes when Bonnie's ring tone erupted was probably a good sign. Bonnie knew she'd have to give her a hand at some point, but dwelling on the minute theoretical details of a spell sounded like a better idea than bonding with Abby in the solitude of a cave.

"Hello?"

"Bonnie, where are you? I've been calling for ages! Are you in a no coverage area?!"

"Care, slow down. What's wrong?"

"What's wrong is that Elena is missing and no one knows where she is! Matt and I searched everywhere. Damon and Stefan have gone haywire! They're at Klaus' place - don't ask me how that happened - and I have this bad feeling they're not coming out of there in one piece and we could really, _really_ use a witch and a friend right about now."

Bonnie had to take a deep breath to calm her shaking hands.

"Don't worry, I'm going to do a locator spell and find her." She was surprised how good the lie actually sounded, but considering she was wracked with worry, maybe it wasn't lying.

"Where _are_ you? I checked your house but there was no one there."

"I'm – I'm not in Mystic Falls right now."

" _What_?"

 _Okay, Bonnie, think. Think fast. Make something up._

"I drove out to see Jeremy. I know, it's a bad idea, but I had to. I miss him too much."

There was complete silence for a while on the other end.

"Oh, Bonnie. We're gonna have to have a chat about exes and the stupid things we do for them when we're not thinking straight, but right now, I need your help. How fast can you get back here?"

 _Thank all the gods in heaven she bought it._

"I guess in an hour or two."

"Please, hurry up. Elena could be in danger and I'm practically freaking out here alone."

"I know, I'm -"

Bonnie almost dropped the phone. She heard clumsy footsteps down the tunnel. Tony waltzed into the cave with Elena on his arm.

"- freaking out too," she finished, hanging up.

Tony raised one hand up defensively. "Before you lose your cool, you should know your friend's just dandy."

And she _was_. Elena Gilbert was smiling. Not just smiling, more like _beaming._ She held onto Tony's biceps like she was about to fly away.

"Oh my God, is this your hangout? It looks amazing. Are these your band mates?" Elena asked, looking up at him with a pair of adoring eyes.

Bonnie had to click her jaw shut. She had never witnessed such a...peppy Elena Gilbert before. It was completely unnerving.

"Is that lady in the corner on drugs? Or is she getting ready for the concert?" Elena asked, pointing at Abby's silent, meditating figure.

"You have got to be kidding me," Bonnie gritted her teeth, balling her palms into fists. When she had agreed, for safety's sake, to tell Tony about the Lockwood cave - with Esther waking up, the secret location wouldn't be secret anymore anyway - she had not imagined he would do something like _this._

"You said not to hurt her. So I didn't. I may have compelled her into thinking I'm a famous rock star and she's my loyal groupie, but other than that..."

"And you brought her _here_?"

"Where else would she be safer? Besides, I thought you might enjoy her like this," Tony teased, pushing Elena forward.

The doppelganger bounced towards her with a drunken smile. "Am I part of the group now? Am I famous too?"

"Um. Sure thing, Elena."

"You know my name! I feel so honored! Can I have your autograph?"

Bonnie had to admit the whole thing was pretty surreal. Especially since the dynamic between them had always been …very different from this, to put it lightly.

"You want my autograph."

Without warning, the doppelganger lifted her shirt, revealing her bare skin.

"You can write it on my stomach!"

Someone else had already written his name there in black sharpie.

Bonnie threw Tony a withering glare.

The hybrid sighed. " _Fine_. I may have reduced her mental capacities and gotten her a bit drunk, too. But that's an average day in a teenager's life."

"Remember the whole magic turning you into ashes thing?"

"Well...I can see why you'd consider this _mixing things up_."

Bonnie sighed. She needed all the patience in the world to deal with him.

"Just get her into one of the tunnels and keep her there. And preferably don't sign any other parts of her body!"

"Gotcha. But FYI, you're no fun."

* * *

"You realize we're going to kill your entire family."

Klaus moved his palette into his right hand and rubbed a finger over the black edges of a cloud.

"Mm. Do you think this is a shade too dark?"

Damon Salvatore stepped further into the room, knuckles white with rage. "I don't think you understand. We're going to dump the coffins in the Pacific."

"You're right. It's not too dark, but it needs a touch of light blue to balance the spectrum."

"Stop pretending you can't hear me."

Klaus dabbed his brush into the blue dollop of paint and traced short lines around the cloud. "It's you who can't hear me. I asked your opinion on color. Perhaps you're not partial to art."

Damon growled and rushed towards the chevalet, but Stefan placed a warning hand on his shoulder.

"Ah. One of you isn't a complete simpleton, it seems."

"You suddenly don't care about them, huh?!" Damon demanded, fighting his brother's hold. "I can _make_ you care!"

Klaus walked over to the table where he kept his tubes of paint and, caressing the edge of a small spatula placed on top of a stack of papers, he rolled it swiftly between his fingers and threw it with precision at the vampire's neck.

Damon clutched at his throat and collapsed on the floor in a flood of curses.

"Now that Romeo is down, perhaps I may speak to Hamlet without interruptions," he teased, giving Stefan a knowing smirk.

"Don't think my brother's threats aren't my threats, Klaus," Stefan warned, walking up to him boldly.

"No, but I can sense you…doubting yourself. You want to get rid of this burden, don't you? Carrying those coffins around must be rather unpleasant. They weigh a soul down."

"Give us Elena back first."

"I keep telling you I know nothing of her whereabouts."

"And I say that's bullshit."

"I see you've set your mind on finding me the culprit," Klaus said, sighing for dramatic effect.

"I have."

"Well, then, I suppose you must throw my brothers and sister into the sea and be done with it."

Stefan narrowed his eyes. "Just like that?"

Klaus smiled. "Just like that."

"So, you're that heartless. You're willing to sacrifice them without a single regret."

The Original turned back to his painting. He gave a bitter smirk as he crisscrossed the inside of the cloud with black.

"Oh, Stefan. You have no idea."

* * *

Bonnie could hear Elena singing an out-of-tune rendition of "Born To Be Wild" in one of the caverns below, while Tony clapped his hands encouragingly.

"Keep it down in there! No one's supposed to know she's here!"

The sound died off gradually, but Tony kept snickering like an idiot.

Bonnie sighed and placed her hands in her mother's palms again. Abby scrutinized her face with a bit too much motherly concern.

"I know, I know, it's _my_ fault for bringing him along," Bonnie grumbled under her breath.

"Actually, I was going to say that you have a lot more patience than me. I – I would've probably given up by now."

Bonnie coughed. "Oh. Right. Thanks. Well, it's only been two hours."

"Do you think it's going to work?"

"It has to."

They closed their eyes once more and started chanting over the coffin.

It was not going very well. Bonnie's magic kept tugging at her mother's, trying to coax it out, but it was like getting a solid object through the thin cracks of a wall. Her mother's face was wrinkled with effort.

Bonnie breathed out and stopped chanting. They stood in silence for some moments.

Abby rubbed her fingers against Bonnie's knuckles. "Your hands are so big." She chuckled sadly. "You used to be such a small thing. I could put both your little fists in my palm."

Bonnie smiled awkwardly. "Oh."

"I loved playing with them when you were tiny. You kept running away, offended. I think even at that point you wanted to be a mini-adult. You've always been precocious."

Bonnie felt herself relax a little. "How do you still remember that stuff?"

Abby frowned. "How could I forget?"

Bonnie felt the cracks in the wall grow wider. A bit of her magic slipped through.

She gasped.

"Mom, I think –"

" –it's working," Abby finished for her, eyes wide and hopeful. "Maybe we just have to keep going."

"Keep telling me stuff…stuff about us."

Abby smiled. She started on all the memories she remembered of baby Bonnie. The wall kept getting more and more fissured. Bonnie could feel her magic getting through.

"…and before I could catch you, you fell off the stool and broke your tooth. It fell right out of your mouth on the floor. But you know what? You just got up and started laughing."

Bonnie chuckled. "Sounds like me."

For the first time in a long time, they were bonding, _really_ bonding. Bonnie knew this was all for a spell, but maybe it could go on, after that.

Abby was now telling her about her third birthday and how she had asked for a puppy and when they didn't get her one, she didn't even complain or cry. She shrugged and decided to go out and get one for herself.

"You were one independent three-year old, that's for sure. And you were so patient and determined, even then."

"I must've been. Dad had to get one for me just to get me to quit. But that was," Bonnie stopped short. _After you left_ , she had almost said.

Abby's smile faded slightly. "You can say it, Bonnie."

"I – I want you to know I got over it. You leaving."

"No, you didn't. You shouldn't _have_ to get over it," Abby sighed. "You have every right to stay mad."

"That's the thing. I don't want to stay mad," Bonnie muttered, looking down at their entwined fingers. "I want closure."

Abby bit her lip. "I know. You deserve that much."

"This morning, you were going to tell me something. You said I was old enough to know. What was it, Mom?"

"I... it doesn't matter now. I will tell you later, when this is behind us."

"How about you tell me now?"

"It's – it's not the right moment. Besides, it's an ugly story."

Bonnie chuckled. " _Mom_. We're so close to getting the spell right. Maybe it's the perfect moment. Tell me. I can more than handle ugly."

"This is not the kind of ugly you can swallow."

" _Please_. I want to know."

Abby tightened her hold on Bonnie's hands, almost as if she were afraid her daughter would disappear.

"If I tell you, there's no turning back. You'll have that knowledge stuck inside you."

Bonnie squared her shoulders. "Try me."

Abby looked away for a moment. "I left after you turned three. You were the most wonderful little girl in the world. And I never really told you why I had to go."

Bonnie scrunched her eyebrows in confusion. "But you did. Desiccating Mikael took its toll on you. You lost your magic. You…you didn't like who you'd become. I don't excuse it, but I can – I can understand it."

Abby smiled. "Yes, I didn't much like the 'new me'. I told you, the only way to defeat a monster is to become a monster yourself."

Bonnie frowned. "You think you were a monster for what you did to Mikael?"

Her mother shook her head. "No. It's the fact that I _didn't_ do it."

Bonnie could feel a storm brewing. "What do you mean?"

"One day, an old vampire came into town with the intention of finishing off the Petrova line. Elena was three. Your age. I couldn't let him do that." Abby paused. "The only problem was that when I met him, he was just the handsome new stranger in town. Only later would I discover what he was after. It was too late."

"What are you saying?"

Abby took a deep breath. "I'm saying I was younger and stupid. I'm saying he was older, charming and dangerous. I'm saying he made my heart beat faster. I'm saying he – he made me believe he cared. I could have killed Mikael, Bonnie. I could have done it. Instead, I only depleted him of blood. Because I was a coward. Because I didn't want him to die."

Bonnie almost broke away from her hold.

"No. No, that's not true."

Abby released a haggard breath. "Every day I wish it weren't. But it is."

Bonnie's hands had gone limp in hers.

"After that, I couldn't look your dad in the eye. I couldn't even touch you. I betrayed all of you. Worst of all, I couldn't tell myself I had no feelings for him. So I left. Because you and your dad didn't deserve this. You deserved better."

Bonnie was too stunned to speak or move.

"And I'm still living with that regret," Abby finished, tears rolling down her cheeks. "That's why I've been…the way I've been."

The cracks were gaping holes. The wall was torn down completely. Bonnie could feel her mother's magic rising inside her, embracing her own. She wanted to draw away. She wanted to put the wall back up.

But she couldn't. Not anymore.

"I think I got my magic back," Abby said, choking on a sob.

"Yeah," Bonnie said emptily. "You did. Let's - let's open the coffin."

"Bonnie."

"I can't do this right now."

"You have to believe me that I never meant for it to happen –"

"Stop."

"And if I could turn back the time, if I could prevent that mistake , I would do it a thousand times–"

"I said _stop_. Or I'll shout for Tony to come in here."

Abby opened her mouth, then closed it shut. She nodded her head in sorrow.

They began chanting the generation spell.

Soon, the coffin stirred and groaned. The lid was coming off slowly.

The two witches stepped back. When Bonnie let go of her mother, she felt relief.

The woman that rose from the casket looked young and beautiful, despite the lines of age on her face. Esther woke from her sleep as if she'd only gone to bed hours before. She looked around the cave with disdain. Then her eyes fell upon Abby and Bonnie.

"Bennetts! At my bedside! How ironic."

She sounded neither upset nor surprised. She extended her arms, expecting them to help her get up.

When Abby and Bonnie touched her hands, they both fell down in a deep sleep.

Esther smiled, hummed under her breath, and walked out of the cave.

But Tony was ready at the other end of the tunnel with Elena in tow. He held the doppelganger's neck between his hands.

"Not so fast, Mama Mikaelson. You're coming with me quietly, or the Petrova gets it. And if you think of using your magic on me, think again. I compelled Elena to kill herself if you harm me. She's got a dagger in her shirt pocket and she's going to use it. Aren't you darling?"

Elena, who stood in his arms without putting up much of a fight, nodded her head obediently.

Esther pursed her lips, but dropped the hand she had raised against him.

"You didn't think all this up by yourself. This reeks of Niklaus."

Tony grinned.

"Boss sends his regards."

* * *

Her head was being hammered in mercilessly. Each bump made her skull rattle. She opened her eyes. She was leaning against a window. A seatbelt was placed over her chest. Bonnie was sitting in her car. And Abby was driving.

"Esther is alive and well. She's at the Family Mansion. Tony called to tell me. I…I let you rest a bit more."

Bonnie rubbed her eyes tiredly. She was almost afraid to search her mind and remember what had happened. Sadly, the memory was there, waiting for her to get a grip on reality.

The silence was unbearable. Abby's body was tense, her shoulders hunched over the wheel.

Bonnie leaned her head back against the window, even though it hurt.

"So all that stuff about Klaus…telling me to stay away from him, telling me I'm putting myself in danger…that was actually about you and Mikael," she said dryly.

Abby flinched. "I – I didn't want you to be deceived. Like I was."

Bonnie laughed bitterly. "You actually thought what happened to _you_ would happen to me. Like I would _ever_ fall for that."

Abby cringed. "Do you think I don't know you're better than I ever was? Do you think I'm not grateful for that? But you're still young. And I have experience. Bad one, but it's what I have. I wanted to warn you. Because Klaus is not much different."

" _I_ am!" Bonnie protested.

"Yes. And I want you to stay that way."

Bonnie pressed her lips into a thin line. She wanted to forget the last few days. She wished she had never gone looking for Abby. She wished she had never gotten involved in the coffin business when Stefan asked her for help. She wished Tyler had never bitten her. She wished Klaus hadn't –

But she refused to think like her mother, in "what ifs".

"You said once an Original is in my life, he's there to stay. Is _he_ still in your life?" Bonnie asked, trying to keep her voice steady.

Her mother was silent for a long time.

"No. He isn't. He's dead."

Bonnie looked out the window. Night was falling. And her mother was a liar.

Maybe Klaus was right. Maybe love, this kind of love, was a disease.

 _It will be over soon_ , she told herself. _Klaus got what he wanted._ _And Abby served her purpose._ _They'll both leave and I'll be…I'll be better off._


	5. the ritual

_A/N: here is the fifth chapter, with some small rewrites. Thank you for the reviews and enjoy!_

* * *

 **a little drop of poison**

After such an eventful and upsetting evening, Bonnie only wanted to turn in and forget her troubles. Abby had thankfully decided to spend the night at the Mystic Falls Inn and Bonnie was grateful. The last thing she wanted was to hear her mother's justifications.

Maybe under different circumstances she could have better understood where Abby was coming from, but right now, her moral compass was not willing to budge.

She stepped inside the empty house, dropped the keys by the door and headed into the kitchen.

Besides not offering any healthy foods, her fridge was also bereft of alcohol. She was pretty sure her dad some old scotch in his private study, though.

The room was barely used. Dust had gathered on the bookshelves and the air was stale. But lo and behold, her dad's cabinet was not locked. There were three empty bottles inside. The fourth had some remnant liquor, amber-hued. Delicious.

She decided not to bother with glasses and drank straight from the bottle. Bad idea.

Her tongue was burning and her stomach hurled in protest. She took another gulp. Her head hurt.

"Underage drinking? Tsk, tsk."

 _Of course._ He was the last nail in the proverbial coffin.

Klaus was sitting at her father's desk, leaning against the chair comfortably, an image that did funny things to her already upset stomach.

His fingers tapped on the surface rhythmically, almost as if he were playing a musical instrument. He was dressed in black – he always seemed to be. His hair was gelled back. Not a strand of it was amiss. He looked, well, annoyingly well.

It irked her. And he was supposed to be a figment of _her_ imagination.

Well then…

She narrowed her eyes at him and focused on his looks, envisioning a different Klaus in that chair.

Bonnie gasped. It worked.

He was now wearing a pair of casual slacks and a blue shirt, his curly hair unruly and unmade. He looked down at himself and chuckled.

"Pleasant change of scenery."

 _Damn. He still looks good_ , she thought with chagrin. Not that it mattered. She was just making an objective observation. His beauty was cold and it did not appeal to her, anyway.

"If my beauty is cold, why are you trying to make me look more approachable?" he challenged.

Bonnie grimaced. Since he was practically a product of her mind, he knew what she was thinking. It was like getting mad at herself. She hated this.

"I'm tired. I just want to have my drink and go to bed. Okay? I am _not_ thinking about you. I am not even contemplating the _idea_ of you. You do not exist."

He tipped his head back and looked at the ceiling. "Do you know that little game where you are asked not to think of an elephant, but you just can't help it?"

"That's _not_ that game."

"Isn't it?"

"You're going to disappear. Any moment now."

Bonnie grabbed the bottle and meant to head for the door, but he beat her to it and blocked the way.

"Move."

"That would be tricky, love. For I do believe you wish me to follow you. Otherwise, I would've just kept counting the cracks in the ceiling."

"Why would I want you to follow me?" she spat, trying to swerve past him, without much success.

"Perhaps you need a willing ear to listen. About your cheating mother."

Bonnie pressed her palms against his chest and pushed him aggressively. But she felt the thump in her own chest. She was hitting herself.

"Careful now. I'm only following your rather contradictory commands," he smirked, trailing a finger down the zipper of her jacket.

"Oh, shut up. You're enjoying this. Or some sick part of my mind is. Whatever was in your blood obviously made me ill."

"I saved your life."

"And gave me _this_ in return. I feel like Abby and Mikael are also your fault. I wouldn't have known about them if it hadn't been for you."

"Ah, so you _do_ want to talk about our devious progenitors."

"No! I never want to hear about that again. I almost wish you could compel me to forget it."

"Such sadness in your eyes," he murmured, gazing into her face with concern.

Bonnie wrinkled her nose. "Oh, God. I don't want comfort from you! Why is my brain doing this?"

"Your mind is only trying to assuage itself. Why don't you allow me to help you?"

Bonnie shook her head. She finally managed to walk past him, but she only made it to the stairs before he was on her again. One hand was placed on the banister, blocking her path.

"I am better than alcohol. Talk to me. You might even find I understand your dilemma."

Bonnie gaped at him. "Something is definitely wrong with me if I'm thinking _you_ can understand me."

"I am in the same position, aren't I?"

Bonnie's eyebrows scrunched in thought. "But the real Klaus, does he know that Mikael and Abby…"

The Klaus standing on her stairs remained silent.

"Of course. You _can't_ possibly know," she answered by herself.

"Well, if I had some idea of it," he said, inching forward, "I don't suppose I would be very pleased."

Bonnie felt she was growing a bit mad. She was practically talking to herself, but this apparition could somehow make her believe she was speaking to him. And what was worse, she _wanted_ to get out of her head. She _wanted_ him to be a real, distinct person, just so she could have someone to talk to.

 _Ugh. No. You're kinda drunk and pathetic._

But then, he did a strange thing. Well, maybe not _so_ strange, considering her fragile state of mind.

He sat down on the steps. He leaned his back against the stair rail and waited for her to sit down as well. Bonnie gulped. This was pretty surreal. More surreal perhaps than a giddy Elena Gilbert asking her to sign her stomach.

She sat down at the opposite end, leaning her back against the wall. She held her knees to her chest, watching him warily.

"This is so weird," she said, more to fill up the silence.

"Yes, my real self is probably dining on some innocent girl's entrails, but here I am with you on the family stairs, because you want to chat."

"I _don't_ want – hell, maybe I do. Not with you, though. But you're here…" she trailed off awkwardly, biting her lip.

"A strange breed of antagonist you are, Bonnie Bennett."

"I'm going to kill the real you someday. I know it. Just because I'm letting you walk out of Mystic Falls with your hybrids and your power intact, that doesn't mean I won't get you eventually."

Klaus smiled with delight. "That's the spirit. But how would you go about killing me this time around? You must know I've taken precautions against your attacks."

Bonnie pursed her lips in thought. "Hmm… I'd have to take you by surprise. Hit you from where you least expect. Find your weakness."

He nodded in approval. "Good so far. But what weakness have I got?"

"You crave power too much? You need your hybrids? You…want your family back? All of these?" she wondered.

Klaus cocked his head to the side. "You don't really believe any of those is my ultimate weakness."

Bonnie frowned. "I guess not…but I feel like I'm close."

"And…would you get closer to find out?"

Bonnie knew this was her mind testing her, but the way the apparition had asked the question, she almost felt shivers run down her spine.

"No. Of course not. I don't want to be –"

 _Abby_.

Klaus lowered his eyes, almost as if it was rude of him to have heard that name in her mind.

"You know what I think bothers you the most about this entire conundrum?" he ventured, stretching one leg down, while he kept the other up. He looked so casual and yet still so completely in control of himself. Even in her goddamn mind.

"Oh, joy. Enlighten me."

"You believe Abby truly loved Mikael. Foolishly, of course, but loved him, either way. Whereas, you don't believe he felt anything for her. You believe he used her, toyed with her, destroyed her."

Bonnie tightened her grip on her knees. She felt very small, all of a sudden. She really hated this awful connection between them.

"Maybe I do. It's the truth, after all."

Klaus raised an eyebrow. "As far as _you_ know."

Bonnie couldn't believe her mind had doubts about this. It was quite obvious that Mikael had cruelly played with her mother's heart for his own amusement. Creatures like him and Klaus did things just because they could.

"I _know_ ," she retorted. "If he could have felt something for her, he would have done the right thing."

Klaus chuckled. "What _is_ the right thing, Bonnie Bennett?"

She had so many answers to that question, but none of them seemed absolute.

She put her chin on her knees and stayed quiet for a long time. Klaus simply watched her.

After a while, she got up and went to bed. He didn't follow her, this time.

* * *

"I am impressed with your plan, Niklaus. I always thought Elijah was the brains of the family. Clearly, I was deceived."

Klaus feigned a smile as he sipped from his bloody cup. Esther was sitting opposite him at the dining table, her own food and drink untouched. What was it about witches and rejecting sustenance?

It was good seeing his mother's insufferable condescension weakened for once. Her tone was light, but she was obviously bothered.

"I've learned from the best," he replied, toying with his knife, tracing patterns on the tablecloth.

"You've got them all playing your tune. Two Bennett witches, a doppelganger, several hybrids and two _very_ impulsive vampires. Stefan Salvatore thinks he is frustrating you, but he is actually obeying your design. You _want_ him to have the coffins, for you know that his hatred towards you is strong enough to make him reckless with them. _You_ , perhaps, would not have the strength to decimate what is left of your family, but a broken vampire…Well done."

Klaus bowed his head with humility. "You honor me."

"I am proud of you. I despise you with all my heart, but I _am_ proud. I always knew you would amount to great things."

"Such candor. Perhaps you should save it for the rest of your children."

"Oh, you are truly ingenious, my dear Niklaus. You have tied my hands. For I cannot _get_ the rest of my children unless I release the doppelganger from you. That is what the Salvatores want. Once Elena has her freedom, they will give me the coffins."

She lifted her glass and threw him a hateful smile. "I am defeated."

Klaus cocked his head. "You do not _sound_ defeated. Is my dear mother concocting a plan of retaliation as we speak?"

Her smile widened. "Perhaps."

"Well, you shall have to think it through _after_ you've done what I want."

Esther drained her glass in one gulp. "Bring that Petrova bitch in here."

Klaus felt a pang in his chest. He had missed this. He had missed his callous, corpse-treading mother. The apple had not fallen far from the tree.

Tony waltzed in with a disoriented Elena Gilbert still dangling on his arms, less euphoric, but just as affectionate.

Klaus watched his mother rise from her chair and approach the doppelganger with firm steps. Something was odd about it. His mother was too willing. This was too easy. Maybe she had one last trick up her sleeve. Maybe it was a trap.

Yet, he was ready to risk it. He had craved this for so long, he could not imagine failing now. He would kill everyone and everything if he had to endure one more misstep.

So he walked up to his mother and placed an arm around her shoulders. His hand reached her nape and parted the hair, resting his fingers on the back of her head. He dug his nails in her scalp.

"We struck a bargain centuries ago. Your children for one simple request. This is mine. And if you do not keep your word faithfully, I will sink my teeth in you and paint the sky with your blood. I will make sure sweet Bekah, noble Elijah, playful Kol and stern brother, Finn, watch the way I disgorge you. I have no pity. I have no heart. I will eat you, chew you, and spit you out. If you trick me, you will only be tricking yourself. For I will follow you and haunt you and rip to shreds the world in my path."

Esther flinched at his words, but kept her cool even when his breath was falling down her neck.

"Remember, you don't _know_ me. I am of foreign blood. I am your mistake. I am your youth's sin. And I can undo you, Mother dearest."

Esther turned her head towards him. "My little wolf. You have no heart? How terrible you are. Are you truly empty? Is there _no one_ you hold dear?"

Klaus laughed a cold laugh. "Worry not. Soon, I will have more hybrids to keep me company."

"Pity. You are so handsome. So charming. So deadly. Any woman would be lucky." Her sarcasm bore something authentic, almost like she meant it.

"Many a woman _has,_ but she did not survive dinner," he commented, averting his gaze.

"Ah. What a dreadful existence, when everyone around you is a meal. But I suppose you've never fared well with the fairer sex. You always suspected they would betray you. Perhaps you simply cannot believe you can be loved. You are right, of course."

Klaus did not flinch. He removed his hand from his mother's scalp as if he had touched something vile.

Tony coughed in disapproval. As a loyal hybrid, he felt bothered when someone slighted Klaus, especially when the slight involved his master's ego.

"That's a bunch of horseshit. Boss is loved. We all love him. And Bonnie Bennett hasn't betrayed him yet."

The silence that fell upon them was deafening, but the glare he received from Klaus was louder than church bells. His master was planning his certain death, yet he could not see what he'd done wrong. To Tony, defending him was like second nature.

Esther chuckled in disbelief. "Bonnie Bennett. You've taken a liking to one of your worst enemies. How very _you_. I suppose killing her would be the equivalent of flirting."

Klaus narrowed his eyes. "You should mind your words before I mind them for you, _Omo."_

"When one lacks friends and loved ones, one naturally latches onto one's enemies," she spoke calmly.

Klaus smiled with forced blitheness and, yanking Elena from Tony's arms, linked her hands with Esther's.

"Get on with it. My patience is wearing thin."

He bit his own palm and let drops of blood fall on their hands.

"I see you've studied the magic."

Elena looked from Klaus to Esther in confusion, but Tony had made sure she would be oblivious to the danger.

"Is this the after-party?" she asked in a daze.

"Oh, poor child," Esther cooed, looking at her with pity. "So young, so stupid."

Klaus stood back and waited for her to begin chanting. He was ready for any tricks, any distractions. His body was poised for attack. So many years of waiting… he wouldn't let anything stand in his way.

Esther sighed ruefully once or twice before she began to weave the spell.

Elena started giggling as the magic seeped through and tickled her skin.

"This is…so cool…like getting high on life..." she trailed off sleepily.

Klaus' blood levitated in the air between them in solid drops, the consistency of ruby stones. Each drop burst into flame as Esther's chanting grew more intense.

Elena had stopped giggling. She was trying to pull away, but Tony was holding her back. He looked at his master with concern. Klaus did not deign him a single glance. He was mad at his indiscretion. Tony had to figure out a way to make up for his mistake.

The ritual lasted only minutes longer. By now Esther had worked up a fine sweat that aged her smooth face and revealed the years behind the facade. Her hands were shaking slightly. Klaus knew she was not quite as powerful as she used to be, and that she knew it too. Otherwise, she may have fought him harder.

"It is done."

Klaus felt no different. He had expected static, a storm, a change in the air. But it was anticlimactic, which he took as good news. Tony did not exhibit any changes either. It was too soon to tell, but everything seemed…normal.

"Time to put your words to the test," he said and signaled for the hybrids waiting in the hallway to bring forth the new sacrifices. "You had better pray it worked, for your own good."

Young men and women, taken from their homes, kidnapped from their jobs, stolen from their lives waited in tow to be turned into hybrids; this time, without the need of doppelganger blood.

Klaus called them forth and began the arduous process all over again.

Esther watched them with fascination and disgust. Soon, she would have her children. And soon, Klaus would be history. She had made sure of that.

* * *

The very first hybrid had survived the transition.

Now, he had to wait, to make sure it would last, to make sure the others lived on, too.

He had always hated this part. The suspension of time where nothing happened, nothing _was_. He was fed up with drinking blood, he was fed up with painting, he was fed up with torture.

He paced the length of his room, lost in troubling thoughts.

He was beginning to consider the future, what would happen next. By now, the Salvatores must have gotten their precious Petrova brat back and the coffins would be in his mother's possession soon.

Little that he cared.

She could wake them all and start a war, he was prepared. He knew his siblings' weaknesses, all of them. Rebekah would go first, although she was the sweetest. Finn, the righteous fool, after. Then Kol, the reckless bastard. And finally, Elijah, the brave and kind. They were characters in a tragedy and no one survived a tragedy.

He knew that Esther would not rally them against him easily. Only Finn was still faithful to her. In time, his siblings would disappear into the world again. In time, he would bite Esther and finish the ordeal.

 _Why didn't I bite her now? After the ritual?_

He felt no love for her, no consideration. He wanted nothing to do with her. And yet, he had not killed her after she had stopped being useful.

Her words, although he tried to ignore them as mindless drivel, stung him in unexpected ways.

 _Perhaps you simply cannot believe you can be loved. You are right, of course._

It was not the first time, nor the last, but somehow, people never tired of reminding him.

 _When one lacks friends and loved ones, one naturally latches onto one's enemies._

Was that what he was doing? Was he letting this awful need cloud his judgment? Being loved was as bad as loving. Just another kind of disease, crippling and fickle. If you let yourself believe in it, you'd depend on it, like a child. No one craved to be an invalid.

He made hybrids to feel powerful and free, _not_ less alone.

And he was entertaining the idea of Bonnie Bennett for the same reason.

He grabbed a cup of blood, but when the lips touched the liquid, he put it down, nauseated.

He wanted to dine on fresh blood.

He would go for a chase tonight. And when the victim gave their last breath and the last drop extinguished on his tongue, he would feel sated.


End file.
